Art renders the extraordinary brilliance of peoples’ lives. Susan Vreeland's lovely Girl in Hyacinth Blue brings together an artfully constructed reversed chronological novel. A kind of contemporary hiding-place of a painting credited to Vermeer all the way back to the moment the work was fathered. The purpose of art is to provide a sense of grace and fulfillment to the heart and soul. Vermeer's paintings speak so powerfully, nearly four centuries after their creation, of the mysteries of character and time and of the unimportant details that make up a life. Delicate affections toward sentimental values may be arduous to allow betrayal; not only women enjoy the soft spots of art.

Haughty feelings toward sentimental values may be difficult to allow confer. A math teacher, Cornelius Engelbrecht supposedly burns the painting in his fire place. “Embarrassed by his father’s hovering nervousness whenever he brought home a school friend.” (pg. 13) Despite his embarrasment, had he have the will to burn the painting or relinquish it? Perhaps, he could have burned it for the reason that the painting brought about painful memories. 1942, in Amsterdam German soldier Otto Engelbrecht loots the painting, hides it, and then escapes with it to America; bringing his son painful memories in the future. Although this could be the case, he could have relinquished it or destroyed it; this could be debated further because Cornelius knew that destroying the painting, would be burning a hole in his heart and soul; on the other hand relinquishing it, would bring the forever lasting disdain. In Vreeland, Laurens van Luyken, originally purchased the painting as an anniversary gift for his wife, but is hesitant, “‘No.’ ‘ Why not the painting?’ ‘Because I gave it to you.’ ‘But it would be a touch of our home in theirs.’ ‘I wouldn’t want to be without it.’” (pg. 65) to give it to his daughter Johanna, who is engaged to the Amsterdamer Fritz. The value doesn’t necessarily have to be something that is “rich,” it can also be sentimentally valued to the heart and soul.

Humanity does not want to confer such beauty unless they are monetarily deficient, even then trying their hardest to take hold of their sentiment. As people become more monetarily deficient, it gives them more of a sense of want for priceless possessions. A student named Adriaan Kuypers disappears with the painting to Oling where he gives it up...